Francois et Moi

Easy Buttery English Toffee for Holiday Gifting

2024-12-18T18:33:06Z

Deliciously decadent and easy buttery English toffee recipe perfect for Holiday gifting + tricks and tips for a foolproof batch. Nine days to Christmas and the great cookie bake is on! I’m teaming up with a few designer blog friends for a holiday cookie recipe swap, so be sure to check out all the deliciously decadent recipes linked at the bottom of this post! We’ve been making a baking list, and checking it twice. Among our family holiday cookie favorites are Spritz cookies, pepparkakor ginger snaps, wreath cookies, and homemade caramel. Homemade caramel is what we usually make for friends and neighbor gifts, but this year we’re taking our caramelized sugar one step further (or 50F degrees higher) and doing buttery English toffee. What Exactly is English Toffee? What sets English toffee apart from American toffee or buttercrunch? In a word–almonds. English toffee, in addition to chocolate, usually incorporates almonds. In this case, we’re toasting our almonds prior to sprinkling them on top, which really maximizes their flavor. Tips for Toffee Success Candy-making sometimes gets a bad wrap for being hard to make, but if you’ve made caramel with me before (or even if you haven’t ), you’ve got this–I […]

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Primary Bath Design Plan (at the Treehouse!)

2023-09-11T18:48:31Z

Introducing the Treehouse Primary Bath design project! You’ve got to see these epic before photos and the design direction we are headed in for this space! Project Introduction We are back at it today, and getting started on the Treehouse primary bath design! If you’re just tuning in, the Treehouse is my parents’ home on a lake in Minnesota. We call it the Treehouse because It’s got three big decks that overlook the lake and woods and you really feel like you’re up in the trees when you’re inside. Also, as a point of reference, do you remember the Treehouse primary bedroom that we completed 2 years ago? Well, the primary bath is right off of this bedroom. A Look at the Primary Bath ‘BEFORE’ So here’s a look at the Treehouse primary bathroom as it was built in 2002. Aside from the obvious material choices circa early 2000’s, the jets on the tub no longer work and the shower door has had some somewhat major leaking issues causing the vinyl tile to peel up and also cause some water damage to the subfloor. We’re looking forward to transforming this space into a more functional space for my parents and […]

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Round-up: Vintage Style Art Frames

2023-01-25T22:04:32Z

All my favorite vintage-style art frames and where to buy them. Plus, 3 tips for creating a collected gallery wall in your own home! Collected gallery walls can sometimes take years to put together. Finding a cohesive mix of art + vintage frames, can be part of the fun, but also part of the stress, not to mention the challenge of arranging them on the wall. I’m thrilled to have partnered with one of my favorite artists, Brittany Smith, of Brittany Smith Studio to curate a vintage-forward gallery wall of her florals and landscapes, so you can create a thoughtful gallery in your own home, without the stress. Shop the 7-piece print gallery, and scroll down on this post for tips on creating vintage-style gallery walls + find my favorite frame sources! Tips for Creating a Vintage Style Gallery Wall Wood and Gold Generally, when I’m going for a vintage look and feel, I’m choosing matte gold/gilded/brassy tones and wooden frames and mixing the two for a cohesive look. Often I use Rub n Buff in the Antique Gold color, if a frame color doesn’t quite work. Sometimes I’ll work black in too. The oval frame in the upper left […]

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Treehouse Utility Bathroom Scope & Progress

2023-01-25T00:05:11Z

From the humble ‘before’ to the tile + drywall progress: A look at the renovation of the Treehouse’s utility bathroom so far, including sources! The Not-So-Lovely Before: Over at the Treehouse, my parents have been renovating the utility bathroom, a room that is a combination of bathroom + laundry, and here are a few views of what the room looked like before. As you scroll through, you’ll see it was in rough shape. Yikes! It’s the bath on the lower level, and I think the previous owner did some of the finishing work themselves, but never *quite* finished. There was 12×12 beige ceramic tile that my mom has already demo’ed, but the ceiling over the laundry was never put in nor any sort of solution to conceal the water heater from view. The shower had a comically high big step up, so we’ll be addressing that as well. In case you’re just stopping over, The Treehouse is my parent’s home, which is located on a lake just outside of the Twin Cities. The home itself is perched on a hill making their 3 back decks feel completely nestled up in the tall juniper, birch, and oak trees that surround it. […]

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How to Turn Vintage Furniture into a Vanity

2022-12-04T13:32:58Z

From thrifted desk to functional bathroom sink console! Here’s an in-depth look at how we turned an old, $40 piece of furniture into a vanity. Dreams really do come true! I’ve been fantasizing about turning a vintage piece of furniture into a vanity for over a year, and we finally made it happen! Not only is repurposing vintage furniture as bathroom vanities more cost effective than buying new, it’s also gentler on the planet. What was in this bathroom was a cookie cutter vanity, that I’m assuming was a quick band-aid for putting the house on the market. It’s served its purpose ok over the last 7+ years. However, the drain doesn’t work, the melamine wrap is coming off, and the back of the cabinet had been cut away inside, exposing the water lines, so as I mentioned in my bathroom progress post, every morning I’d wrestle with the pipes when reaching for my hair dryer. Last Fall I found this desk on Facebook Marketplace for $40. I love the classical details, the wood knobs and the shelf below. For the preservationists among us, don’t worry. This isn’t a precious antique. The drawer boxes (though dovetailed) are constructed of soft-ish […]

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Main Floor Bath Scope & Progress: Phase 2

2022-11-14T19:57:32Z

A look at the main floor bath scope & progress as Ken and Erin add wainscoting and turn a vintage desk into a bath vanity. Mood board with sources! We’re digging into phase 2 of our main floor bathroom update, and it’s going to be good! The previous owner made some quick band-aid updates to this bathroom like a molded plastic surround in the bath/shower, and a cheap melamine vanity that I’ve always wanted to update. This bathroom has kind of limped along the last 7 years, and now we’re turning it into a space we love. The goal is to preserve and enhance the original 1930’s bones, all while creating a functional space that fits our style. Last year you may remember, we replaced the plastic tub surround with tile, and now we’re moving onto the other side of the room. We’re addressing the sink, and also adding wainscoting and trim while we’re at it. When you do the work yourself, sometimes it has to be done in chunks, and that’s okay. That’s life! Typically, I do separate blog posts to introduce the ‘before’ space, design direction, progress, featured DIY projects, etc. But this time I’m wrapping several blog […]

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Exploring Vintage Furniture Turned Bathroom Sink

2022-11-03T01:31:34Z

A quick-study on the trend of turning vintage furniture into a bathroom sink. Plus, unique and vintage-esque bathroom countertop ideas to steal! I’ve been enamored with the idea of turning an old desk into a bathroom sink in our small 1930’s main level bathroom for over a year now. Currently there’s a big box, cookie cutter vanity left from the previous owner. You can see a peek at the current vanity here. Suffice it to say it’s not my favorite, so as I scheme on old-furniture-turned-sink console ideas, I’ve corralled them all here for a quick-study on the “trend”. I use the term ‘trend’ loosely though, because I don’t actually see this as being trendy. To me, it’s a classic look that has longevity. See more ideas on my Bathroom Design Ideas Pinterest Board–it’s where I’m storing all the ideas inspiring me for this bathroom! Okee! Let’s get down to brass tacks. Here are a few of my favorite examples of vintage furniture repurposed in the bathroom. Trisha Troutz Marie Flanagan Dio Media Trisha Troutz Marianne Simon Design Boschner Design Writing-Desk-Inspired Backsplashes While we’re at it, let’s talk about the writing-desk-inspired backsplash. Many old writing desks have a low-slung wood […]

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DIY Textural Art

2022-08-18T11:42:21Z

Channel your inner ‘artiste’ with DIY textural art! Use a tile trowel and modeling paste to create minimal and chic large-scale art in an afternoon. I first became infatuated with textural art two years ago after discovering the work of artists like Krogh Andersen. It has such movement and visual interest, all the while feeling minimal and chic. Last year I picked up some modeling paste, pulled out a trowel, and began experimenting with troweling paste into 3D art. However, I didn’t document a minute of it, because frankly I wasn’t sure it’d turn out. But much to my chagrin, it did turn out, and I LOVE it! So I’m back at it partnering with Handy Products to create another piece–this time with a very detailed tutorial, so you can make one too with confidence! What Type of Paste Should I Use? Flexible Modeling Paste: I use Flexible Modeling Paste because it trowels nicely without looking clumpy like joint compound sometimes can. It comes pre-mixed and takes the guesswork out of finding the right consistency. The paste is true white in color, and it can be mixed with acrylic paint if you want to add an element of color. Mixing […]

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Repairing Pottery with Kintsugi

2022-08-12T02:40:22Z

Got a broken dish? Learn Kintsugi, or golden joinery, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery and embracing its imperfections. Recently, A reader on Instagram inspired me to try Kintsugi when she recommended repairing my ginger jar lid this way. I taught myself with this coral plate and will repair my broken, more complicated ginger jar lid is next! This isn’t true Kintsugi. Kintsugi kits are much more expensive and involve several additional steps. However, the essence is the same: repairing what’s broken and celebrating the imperfections with golden joinery. I’ve tried a few different methods involving clear epoxy as well as adding gold mica powder to the epoxy, but neither gave the look I was after. JB Weld Epoxy Resin was the ticket! Here we go! Supplies: Broken Dish JB Weld Epoxy Resin Toothpick Cardboard Square Liquid Leaf Paint (Gold leaf paint is not food safe, so the result is more decorative.) Art Knife or Box Cutter Painter’s Tape Small Paintbrush, size 0/2 1. Glue the dish back together using epoxy resin. Apply with a toothpick and work quickly as it sets up pretty fast. 2. Once dry, carefully use a craft knife to scrape off excess epoxy that […]

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Playroom Reveal

2022-05-24T02:32:38Z

The transformation of a kids playroom in a 1930’s Tudor home, complete with DIY project ideas and decor sources. This playroom reveal has charm for days! Now that the art display board is finished, I’m excited to show you the playroom in it’s entirety, drumroll…Playroom Reveal Time! Formerly, the den space of our duplex’s apartment (we owner-occupy), it’s become a youthful spot for the kids since we stopped renting out the apartment and began living in the entire home. So let’s take it back to last year when the playroom started to take shape. The first order of business was giving the room a fresh coat of paint after renting the space for 5 years. We went with Behr, Whisper White in keeping with the rest of the home. Tonal Wallpaper + Bold Rug Next up, wallpaper. I wanted a subtle stripe that wouldn’t overwhelm as you reached the playroom at the top of the stairs, I found that in a tonal blue and ivory stripe paper we applied to the window wall for emphasis. From there, I made a playful harlequin stenciled rug using an old-ish cotton rug squirreled away in the basement. It didn’t cost a dime to […]

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DIY Kids Art Display

2022-05-02T02:45:36Z

Create a dedicated space to display your kiddo’s art with this large DIY kids art display wall complete with a custom stenciled graphic unique to your family! Today is an exciting day. I’ve been dreaming of a kids art display wall since the day Sylvia started pumping out art projects by the easel-full. Studies show displaying your kids art empowers them by building confidence, developing sense of self, and encouraging creativity. My idea was to create a French-inspired ‘Galerie’ that plays on our last name, Francois. In terms of materials, cork was an obvious choice for a kids art display wall, but I chose it especially for this project because it’s very fast growing–an Earth-friendly rapidly renewable resource. This particular cork is ¼” thick. It comes in a roll and though it has mixed reviews on Amazon, it arrived here in one piece and worked great for this project. Large format projects like these keep you on your toes. Literally. From stenciling the cork graphics, to mounting the 3’ x 5’ cork sheet and backer board on the wall, to painting the picture frame trim, you’re always moving. And that’s why I’m partnering with Handy Products to bring you this […]

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DIY Radiator Cover Plans

2022-03-07T20:08:58Z

Want to build a radiator cover? Learn how to create a beautiful, pre-war inspired radiator cover with our downloadable radiator cover plans! Well it’s been 2.5 years since we made this radiator cover for the foyer, I’m FINALLY sharing plans on how to create one yourself. Omg. Finally! I can’t tell you how many inquiries I’ve gotten about this project and so I’m really happy to finally get them in your hands! This is an intermediate to advanced project that requires some experience with building furniture. I’ve noted our dimensions, but of course, adjust them to your radiator size or if you don’t have radiators, perhaps build this cover as a table that gives the illusion of an old radiator in your space. We had to get a little (ok, alot!) creative, with the trim pieces on this piece. Ken spent weeks (I’m not exaggerating!) looking for a curved hardwood piece for the corners before finally going with MDF. If we could’ve done hardwood we would’ve but we’re not in the business of steam bending wood. This is the curved MDF piece we used. The radiator cover only uses 10″ total of curved or radiused corner moulding. However the only length […]

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